The invention disclosed herein resulted from a contract with the United States Department of Energy and relates to a system which automatically aligns support rollers under a rotating body when the latter is separately restrained from longitudinal axis translation via thrust rollers or other conventional means.
Rotary processing drums or tubes such as cement kilns are conventionally provided with two or more cylindrical section rolling rings which extend around their outer surfaces and rest on four or more underlying cylindrical support rollers. Translation of these rotating drums along their longitudinal axes of rotation is conventionally restrained by thrust rollers. Misalignments between the drum and support roller axes of rotation cause large forces to develop at the contacting surfaces of the support rollers and the drum support rings. Continued rotation results in sliding movement between the support rings and support rollers which galls the contacting surfaces and causes premature bearing failure.